It’s the same power source used in electronic devices from cell phones and laptops to power drills. And it’s also the preferred choice for the millions of smaller electric vehicles used every day for transporting cargo and people. These vehicles include:

• Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs)
• Commercial turf vehicles, including mowers, greens rollers, etc.
• Utility vehicles, including stock-pickers, forklifts, etc.
• Recreational vehicles used for hunting, etc.
• Military vehicles

Lithium ion power delivers significant performance advantages to the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who make these vehicles. But the transition from lead-acid batteries (or in some cases from internal combustion engines) to lithium ion power is not as simple as it might seem.

Here are five things you should know about lithium ion batteries in smaller electric vehicles:

1. It’s complicated.

Lead-acid batteries are big, dumb and heavy. Lithium-ion batteries are smaller, lighter and more complex. For one thing, they are divided into three-volt cells, and the cells do not always charge and discharge at uniform rates. Therefore, for optimum performance, the cells need to be managed, and that makes all the difference. Like thoroughbred horses, when they are properly cared for, they’ll perform like champions. The way to care for them is with a state-of-the-art Battery Management System (BMS) from GRRReen.

2. It’s going to cost more initially, but less over time.
Mining lithium, and then processing it into a safe and stable configuration that efficiently conducts electricity, (and in many cases, shipping it from China) is a lengthy and to this point, costly process. And that drives up the cost of lithium batteries. The good thing is, lithium-ion cells typically last three to four times as long as lead-acid batteries. That means that over time the cost per-cycle goes way down in comparison. Further, the U.S. government has invested heavily in domestic lithium-ion battery production. As more factories come on line in the next few years, pricing will become more competitive, which is good news for consumers.

3. It allows you to go places you couldn’t before.
Lithium ion affords a significant footprint advantage. With a smaller, lighter power source, engineers are free to design vehicles that are roomier and more innovative. Want an on-board cooler? We can do that. Want to go much further and faster because you’re carrying less weight? We can do that too. The constraints of a bulky, inefficient power source have been removed.

4. It’s better environmentally.
As their name indicates, lead acid batteries are filled with corrosive fluid. That fluid vents out gases, and occasionally it even spills, which is not pleasant for anyone within breathing range. Maintenance people have to add water to these batteries, wipe off the corroded terminals, and they need to be replaced frequently. Lithium ion batteries are sealed, won’t corrode, and don’t need replacement for years and years.

5. Performance and range are both dramatically improved.
Electric vehicles haven’t really taken off (so to speak) due to concerns about performance. There’s even a name for it: ‘range anxiety.’ Lithium ion power, managed properly, can dramatically extend the range of smaller electric vehicles. That means:

• Golf course maintenance workers using an electric greens mower can cover 18 holes, plus two practice greens, on one charge.
• People driving NEVs can confidently go to the grocery store and back with no worries.
• Workers who drive a cart can complete the shift, with no excuse for down time (sorry Mr. Plumber.)

Sometimes a technology comes along that enhances performance, saves money, and helps the environment.
That’s lithium ion power, properly managed with the GRRReen BMS, and deployed in electric vehicles.

Perfect for on- and off-road racing and other applications where failure is not an option, our Lithium Racing Batteries are available now!

This was a trial, so that the client could experience the superior  energy storage, burst and durability of the Lithium Power Pack, which includes state-of-the-art lithium-ion cells and our proprietary Battery Management System (BMS).

Well, the LPP performed as expected for two weeks – that is, it enabled a heavy-duty short-haul truck to go all day, with zero maintenance required, and greater capacity due to a dramatically lighter load of batteries.

Then one day the truck suddenly died. The batteries were drained, all the way to zero.

This was totally uncharacteristic –  the LPP normally lasts for 2,000 cycles, or six years. So we began to investigate what happened. Before long, we heard from the client, who gave us the rest of the story: It turns out that the employee who drove the vehicle intentionally left the key in and the light on, so that the power would drain all the way down.

It seems that when the truck ran on lead acid batteries, it died every day at 2 p.m. – and the employee could go home.  Once we installed the LPP in his truck, he actually had to work a full shift!

That guy is probably not a fan of the LPP. But as more and more fleet managers are discovering, the LPP is pretty awesome. And not just because it cuts into employees’ nap time.

When you factor in savings from:

• Faster charging
• Improved productivity
• Less weight
• Much longer life

… the LPP is actually a better bargain than lead acid batteries.

We’re going to find out — and one fleet manager is going to be very happy. GRRReen technicians today swapped out some lead acid batteries in a Taylor Dunn ET-150 72V Electruck for the Lithium Power Pack from GRRReen.

And they made the truck a lot lighter in the process.

They removed 12 AGM lead-acid battery cells that weighed a total of 770 pounds, and replaced  them with one 100 Amp Hour, 72V Lithium Power Pack that weighed only 182 pounds.

After reducing the weight of the vehicle by 588 pounds, it might be necessary to rewrite the spec sheet.

It says here that the RT-150, powered by an electric drivetrain, “can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, while providing over 40 miles in range,” and that it will “carry loads of up to 1,500 pounds.”

With 770 pounds of lead acid batteries

We’ll be watching closely to see how much farther and faster it will go now that it’s powered by the Lithium Power Pack!

With two Lithium Power Packs, weighing 182 pounds